Morgan McDaniel on Starting JYAN in Jordan

By: Morgan McDaniel

September 30, 2011

As a junior studying abroad in Jordan for the fall semester, I hope to examine the fascinating cultural and religious dynamics that shape life in Jordan. Islam is the backbone of Jordanian society, and my experiences studying at the University of Jordan and interacting with my Jordanian peers will allow me to look at how the current generation is negotiating a way to both preserve traditional religious values and challenge traditional roles and expectations.

My experience living with an Arab Christian host family will provide insight into the interplay between religious identity and cultural identity, and the tensions between Christians and Muslims in a relatively peaceful country at a time when violence against Christians persists in neighboring nations. The geographical location of Jordan, bordering Israel on the west and Iraq on the east, adds more dynamics to the mix. Jordan hosts huge numbers of Palestinian refugees, and over half of its population is of Palestinian origin, so the atmosphere is generally hostile to Judaism but strained politically and socially as the population balances pro-Palestinian sentiment with frustration over the economic resources expended on refugees. I’m looking forward, in my time here, to discovering how all these factors interact both on the macro-political level and the personal level of people’s daily lives, in a country where religion, politics, and social norms are so deeply intertwined.

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